Welcome to DBSTalk

Welcome to DBSTalk. Our community covers all aspects of video delivery solutions including: Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), Cable Television, and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). We also have forums to discuss popular television programs, home theater equipment, and internet streaming service providers. Members of our community include experts who can help you solve technical problems, industry professionals, company representatives, and novices who are here to learn.

Like most online communities you must register to view or post in our community. Sign-up is a free and simple process that requires minimal information. Be a part of our community by signing in or creating an account. The Digital Bit Stream starts here!

I go for walks everyday with my 13 month old daughter. So far this week I've seen 3 TWC trucks and 1 DIRECTV truck in my neighborhood. Looks like the migration is in full swing. I know two people that have already left DIRECTV due to the lack of Lakers. I really hope DIRECTV open's their eyes soon.

With the test channel being removed and the sound of that email, it doesn't look good for LA D* customers. And Mike White was quoted that he wants to retain current customers. Doesn't sound like it to me.

Has Sixto confirmed removal?

Don't know if the test feed has necessarily been removed, but 9732 has been blacked-out now since late yesterday morning. And they have apparently removed the program listings in the channel banner to a continuous "To Be Announced" which prevents the HR34's game search feature from further finding it. So for those in the future or who didn't save it into the Quick Tune menu may be out of luck finding it.

Not only does this suck for the LA market, but out of market fans can't even see the Laker SN games on LP. It was very painful watching the game on Root Sports Utah the other night because, well the team really stunk, but listening to the horrible bias of the Root announcers. Painful!

We know that many of you are DirecTV subscribers and remain frustrated that you can't watch the Lakers on Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes.

We want to remind you of your choices and what you can do to watch the games as well as all the immersive content on these networks. Verizon FiOS, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Charter, Bright House Networks, and AT&T U-Verse have all reached agreements to carry Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes.

If you are interested in getting information about the other TV providers that service your area, visit iwantmylakers.com, enter your zip code, select your TV provider and then click continue. The next screen will list TV providers in your area that are carrying the networks and give you information on how to contact them.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,The Los Angeles Lakers

That message was also posted on the Lakers facebook page, and surprisingly (to me at least) caused an incredible level (almost 5000) of mostly defiant comments from DIRECTV subs. against TWC and Lakers management and refusing to even consider switching providers.

Whether a lot of this is simply bluster and such unswerving allegiance really holds up should the Lakers start to play well or become hot while DIRECTV sticks to their obstinate stance remains to be seen of course.

I'm sorry all, just a little cranky. As a son of the city now living out of state, Laker broadcasts with Stu have been a comfort for me for sometime. This waiting plain out sucks! If Prime Ticket...the REAL Prime Ticket were still around, I doubt we would be in this pickle.

Then he should be OK if the other distributors, etc. if Root is moved to a sports tier and not resist that!

When the Root contract comes up for renewal on other distributors systems, then I agree that the distributor should be able to dictate on which tier it is placed if DirecTV recieves a high fee. If DirecTV is willing to accept a lower fee, then the channel should remain in the lowest tier. Where the channel is placed should be proportional to the fee to carry the channel.

And he should be OK with Time Warner putting Lakers channel in a low tier.

Time Warner can put the Lakers channel on any tier they want on the TWC system. DirecTV should to be free to put the Lakers channel on any tier DirecTV wants on DirecTV, and Time Warner should accept that.

And then we are right back to where we are now where White wants his channels in a low tier whereas everyone else's channels in a sports tier.

White wants to place channels in a tier that is appropriate to the cost of the channel. As you point out, since Root is 100% owned by DirecTV, then whatever DirecTV pays for Root is meaningless, since they are paying themselves. Root is free, so it can remain in the lowest tier. If the Lakers channel was free, I am sure White would have no problem putting it in the lowest tier.

Time Warner is not agreeing to that their channel be in a sports tier and White is not allowing cable operators to move his channels to a sports tier......so what has changed? Not a darn thing.

When the contracts for other operators to carry Root ends, then I agree that White should allow Root to be moved to a tier that is proportional to the fee DirecTV charges the other carriers for Root. Until the contracts end, Root should stay where it is.

Or if ROOT is put in a sports tier on Directv then each customer that elects out should save $2.33 on his monthly bill.

No, since as you pointed out, Root does not cost DirecTV anything - they are paying themselves.

Your whole argument is completely silly.....we are going nowhere until Mile White shows others he is serious about changing the sports channel market by leading

I do not follow your argument. You have already pointed out that Root is free to DirecTV, so having a free channel in the lowest tier makes perfect sense. Until the Root carriage agreement ends on other systems, we do not know what White will do. Perhaps he will accept a low fee in exchange for keeping it in the lowest tier, or perhaps he will allow it to go to a higher tier for a higher fee. All White has said is that the Lakers channels and the PAC 12 channels are too expensive to be in the lowest tier.

Not only does this suck for the LA market, but out of market fans can't even see the Laker SN games on LP. It was very painful watching the game on Root Sports Utah the other night because, well the team really stunk, but listening to the horrible bias of the Root announcers. Painful!

very much enjoyed that kobe foul exchange and that the clippers will take over LA:nono2:

They will not negotiate in public. The complexity of a deal is great in these economic times. I would guess if YES or SNY were just starting today, then New Yorkers would be feeling your pain.

Big tv market, lots of outer ring customers, one team, access to 20 million nationally, rising programming costs and stagnating gains in new customers and so forth. I can imagine the stakes are high and fear of making mistakes are too!

Not easy decision and please keep volume down on our friend SatelliteRacer. We do not want to lose his voice over ad hominem attacks.

Sorry, I was laughing out loud at "what had already been confirmed". This is a great forum with some really good information, but like anything on the internet or elsewhere, you need to be careful on what to discern as truth vs partial truths vs non truths. There are a number of bars, commercial properties, etc that have multiple providers because not everyone has it all.

My apologies if my LOL was construed another way, it was merely in reference to a comment proclaiming certitude.

Sorry, I was laughing out loud at "what had already been confirmed". This is a great forum with some really good information, but like anything on the internet or elsewhere, you need to be careful on what to discern as truth vs partial truths vs non truths. There are a number of bars, commercial properties, etc that have multiple providers because not everyone has it all.

My apologies if my LOL was construed another way, it was merely in reference to a comment proclaiming certitude.

Not only does this suck for the LA market, but out of market fans can't even see the Laker SN games on LP. It was very painful watching the game on Root Sports Utah the other night because, well the team really stunk, but listening to the horrible bias of the Root announcers. Painful!

It probably had to do with the person he was replying to claiming the end of the world or directv since he hates them now.

Directv has a boat load more than twc does for The nba I believe. I don't see them ever leaving.